The Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) is already here… challenges are as huge and varied as opportunities: are we ready for them? Can knowledge systems contribute to make the best of this wave of change, leaving no one behind?
There is no way to answer this with a simple strategy, and in isolation. On the contrary, this is an incredible window of opportunity to sense how knowledge can play a significant role in making public policy decisions to face the “unknown” embracing complexity, and maybe even to re-define what knowledge is and how it can be co-produced.
At P&I we feel inspired by these questions. Thus, we have partnered with several organizations (Capability, Demos Helsinki, Helvetas, Southern Voice, UNESCO Latin American and the Caribbean Office and Using Evidence) glued by the same intention: discover how knowledge systems matter today and could become even more relevant in the future to contribute to new ways of making good policy decisions that capitalize the opportunities of this revolution and diminish its potential risks.
Together, we have co-produced the discussion paper “State Capability, Policymaking and the Fourth Industrial Revolution: do Knowledge Systems matter?” as a way to begin a collective exploration of the opportunities and concerns that accompany the 4IR for policymaking and the knowledge systems that inform the policy decisions, particularly in middle income countries.
This is just a first step to begin co-developing answers: we invite you to participate in our upcoming webinar to discuss some findings and dilemmas shared in the paper and identify ways forward. We aspire to work together, within collaborative approaches and spaces that are genuinely inquisitive and creative: research on this field deserves a novel approach.